Women who bonded over genetic disorder finally meet
‘We are Prader-Willi sisters’
They might live on opposite sides of the ocean but it seems Prader-Willi syndrome has bonded two girls forever.
Ray Morrison of River Ryan said his daughter Janet, 39, and her friend Jade Hall, 24, of Clare, Suffolk, England, both of whom suffer from Prader-Willi syndrome, have met for the first time since bonding on Skype six years ago.
“The joy at seeing these two people meet, it was a once-in-alifetime experience,” he said.
He said it’s more difficult for someone with this handicap to make a friend, and it has opened up a whole new world for Janet and Jade.
“It has given both of them a really close best friend that they truly do care about and love.” Morrison said it all began six years ago when his wife Anita was on a website for parents with older children with PraderWilli, and connected with Jade’s mother Jane.
“Jane said, ‘Why don’t we get the kids talking,’” he said.
“That was it.” he said, adding the two girls have Skyped every day since.
“They may have missed two or three days in the six years, but pretty well have been talking to each other steadily.”
He said in England, social services said one of their priorities is to give children with PraderWilli as normal a life as possible.
“When they heard she had a pal over here in Canada that she never met, they agreed to pay for the trip.”
Morrison said they picked up Jade arrived at the airport in Halifax on Sunday with her sister Lucy Blackwell, who will be staying with them for 10 days.
He said his daughter has never met another person with Prader-Willi.
“People that she can laugh with, talk with, enjoy life more. It has done the same for Jade, too. They call each other Prader-Willi sisters.”
Blackwell said the connection Jade has with Janet has given her sister a level of support she’d never had.
She said Jade also has autism and other issues, so sometimes it’s not easy making friends.
“You know when there is something different about yourself and you are aware of it. She doesn’t feel so different when she’s with Janet because they have everything in common.”
She said the two speak every day and share everything.
“We lost Jade’s dad last year, so it was wonderful for her to have Janet. For Jade to have someone who thinks exactly like her takes the pressure off her and she feels like a normal girl.”
She said since meeting at the airport the bond has only grown.
“They have been just like normal girls, laughing all the time,” she said.
“It’s beyond fantastic, it’s so good to see because I honestly never thought I’d see Jade have something like this, having a normal friendship.”
Morrison said the first place they took Janet and Jade was the Cape Breton SPCA. He said both love animals, Janet is a “kitty cuddler” at the SPCA three times a week, and even adopted a cat she named Tuna.
“Jade has a real menagerie of animals — six dogs, three rabbits and four or five gerbils,” he said.
He said they plan to take Janet and Jade to the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Alexander Graham Bell Museum and Colliery Lands Park. On Tuesday they visited the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum. Janet said she loves Jade. “She’s my best friend. She’s a nice girl, she’s awesome.”
Janet said she was really happy about Jade coming. She said they have talked every day for years, usually about the love they share for animals.
She said Tuesday they were going to Wal-Mart.
“She has never been to a Wal-Mart,” Janet said.
“I really like her, she’s my best friend.”
When Jade was asked what she really hopes to do while in Canada, she said she accomplished that right away — meeting Janet.
“It was our only wish to meet each other, and now that has happened we are just beyond happy,” she said.
“It’s a trip of a lifetime, really wonderful.”
She said her and Janet have been close for years but finally getting to be together has brought them even closer. She said it was emotional seeing her for the first time in person at the airport.
“I was so happy to see her, Janet cried and cried,” she said.
“Every day we get even closer. Not only are we best friends but we are Prader-Willi sisters.”